Tag Archive for Ziad Asali

August 30, 2017

Palestinian-American Zionist and head of the now defunct Arab wing of the pro-Israel lobby, Ziad Asali, has had a relapse into peace-processing. It’s been years since the Ikhras Shoe-Of-The-Month winner “Ziyaaaaaawwwd”, as he likes to be called, has donned a black-tie tuxedo to prance around the Ritz Carlton Ballroom with Hussein Ibish at ATFP “galas”, but he still includes “founder and president of the American Task Force on Palestine” in his bio. The ATFP closed shop back in 2014 after the Washington-based peace-processing industry collapsed and anti-Palestinian groups and repressive GCC regimes cut off all funding. Writing in the same Saudi-Wahhabi regime rag that prints Ray Hanania’s drivel, “Ziyaaaaaawwwd” took the reader on a trip back into time with stale slogans and cliches that serve as a reminder of both, a bygone era, and the Palestinian traitors it left in the trash bins of Washington DC hotels.

The weak, vulnerable and needy state of Israel of 1948 has expanded, consolidated and built a regional powerhouse through decades of war and peace. It is now a regional superpower guaranteed to have a qualitative military edge, and a global technological superpower. It also has one of the most agile global political networks, including within the Middle East. In short, a most successful model of modern nation-building.

April 6, 2015

The ikhras awards committee is pleased to announce the Muntadhar Zaidi Ikhras Shoe-Of-The-Month Award for March, 2015 goes to the euphemistically described Palestinian human rights activist Bassem Eid. Eid earned the prestigious award for his participation in the StandWithUs Anti-BDS Conference 2015. Eid, who played the role of that rare “good Palestinian”, was touted as one of the two most notable speakers along with Alan Dershowitz, the high-profile, “liberal” pro-Israel Harvard Law Professor that has advocated torture, the demolition of Palestinian homes and eradication of entire towns. Eid has made a name for himself among a select few by traveling around the world as a pro-Israel advocate. His travels, itineraries, and speaking engagements have been organized by Zionist lobbying groups that apparently have assigned him the task of undermining pro-Palestine solidarity activism with a special focus on Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns.

June 16, 2014

Unlike most Arab-American Zionists which collaborate with the “liberal” and “moderate” wing of Zionism, The American Task Force On Palestine (ATFP) is closely aligned with the most extreme right-wing Zionists like AIPAC and The Israel Project. Here Ghaith Al-Omari, one of the three ATFP stooges is seen with Noam Gilboord, the “Director of Community Strategy” at the Israel Action Network (IAN). Gilboord’s responsibilities include:

“strengthening the capacity of local community professionals in combating the assault on Israel’s legitimacy. In this role, he coordinates the activities of the field of Israel advocates throughout North America.”

Al-Omari, who spends more time at WINEP, AIPAC’s “think-tank”, than at the ATFP offices is not as well known as Hussein Ibish and Ziad Asali, but he appears to be the ATFP’s main liaison to the pro-Israel lobby. All three often lash out against Arab-Americans, dismissing their criticism of the ATFP as the Arab-wing of the pro-Israel lobby, but pro-Israel advocacy groups like IAN continue to view the ATFP as a reliable partner that’s making a valuable contribution to their common cause.

March 25, 2014

Palestinian-American Zionist, anti-Arab racist, homophobe (See “Hanania Emails Scandal”), failed comedian, Radio Talk Show host (but only because he buys his own airtime), formerADCNational Board member , former Jerusalem Post columnist, and Ikhras Shoe Of The Month Award winner Ray Hanania is calling on Arab-Americans to join the pro-Israel lobby. According to Hanania, J Street, the racist, anti-Arab organization dedicated to the destruction of at least 78% of Palestine, “has given American Arabs who support peace based on compromise someplace to go.” Hanania considers J Street to be the “moderate”, “pro-peace” voice within the pro-Israel lobby which we’re supposed to believe stands in stark contrast to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) which Hanania says “has actively opposed peace.” In his typically confused, incoherent fashion, he goes on to invoke the model of the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) which he characterizes as the only “major” (it consists of two people and a Washington DC office kept open with generous support from Arab oil-Sheikhs) Arab-American organization “that actively supports the two-state solution” without mentioning the ATFP proudly flaunts its collaborative relationship and alliance with AIPAC. Hanania specifically mentions Ziad Asali, giving the ATFP head a nod of approval. Asali, another recipient of the Ikhras Shoe of the Month Award, joined Hanania on that honor roll after becoming the only Palestinian in the world to celebrate “Israel Independence Day.”

September 25, 2013

After cancelling its annual gala last year without any explanation, the American Task Force on Palestine(ATFP)2013 gala appears headed for failure. Unlike previous years, the two-man organization’s flagship event hasn’t generated much buzz this time around, and with only one month to go the keynote speaker remains a mystery. Previous ATFP galas in the heyday of the peace-processing industry became, along with James Zogby’s “Gibran Gala”, among the premier yearly events of the Arab-American establishment complete with US officials as “honored guests” and high-profile, war criminals as keynote speakers. This year the mood surrounding the preparations for the gala is subdued and the vapid ATFP President Ziad Asali along with his more articulate side-kick Hussein Ibish haven’t had much to say about next month’s event.

August 23, 2013

Zayid At An ATFP Gala With Ziad Asali: Zayid boasts she has “never missed an ATFP gala.”

[Ikhras Note: Maysoon Zayid‘s refusal to support the BDS campaign against Israel or any Palestine solidarity activism considered “controversial” by American mainstream standards along with her support for the American Task Force On Palestine (ATFP) has led to a community backlash. In this special guest submission an ikhras reader and community activist highlights her support for the ATFP and the questions swirling around the US-backed “comedian.”]

On twitter Maysoon Zayid explained why she cannot publicly comment on BDS due to the fact that the Israeli government would ban her entry to Palestine in order to work with the kids of her namesake charity, “Maysoon Kids”. For those who are not familiar with Palestine, entry to historic Palestine or West Bank is via Israel. If your destination is Gaza the entry points are Israel or Egypt—the latter is complicit with Israel so it is the same as applying for entry into Gaza from Israel.

June 27, 2013

The American Task Force On Palestine started out as the Washington lobbying arm of the Israeli-sponsored, Western-funded, American-supervised Palestinian Authority, and naturally evolved into the Arab-wing of the pro-Israel lobby. A two man outfit, its run by the vapid Palestinian-American Ziad Asali and his more articulate sidekick, Hussein Ibish. Ibish was hired when the ATFP failed to find a single Palestinian capable of writing a simple press release willing to join the organization. The ATFP has been shunned and condemned by virtually the entire Palestinian-American community. It has, however, enjoyed the support of US-backed “comedian” Maysoon Zayid. Zayid, who’s turned Palestine into a punch line pursuing a mediocre career on the margins of American pop culture, is a regular at ATFP galas and events. Even before photos of Asali embracing Israel’s Ambassador at an Israel “Independence Day” celebration hosted by the Israeli embassy emerged, earning him the Ikhras Shoe Of The Month Award, the ATFP had long lost any semblance of being a Palestinian-American lobby. Zayid, who’s also known as Um-Zohan for her role in the racist, pro-IDF film of the same name, describes Asali as a “good friend” and refers to him as “Ziyaaaaaaaaaaawd.” To this day she has refused to comment on the scandal and continues her support of the ATFP.

March 19, 2013

Obama posters crossed out in occupied Ramallah.

As part of an effort to construct and promulgate a public relations narrative in preparation for Barack Obama’s visit to the Middle East, the White House summoned a group of Arab-American “leaders” to a meeting. Overcome by the lure of being invited to the White House and being part of the mainstream these groups and individuals sacrifice intellectual honesty and personal integrity while adopting all the false pretenses of the American imperial project.

Barack Obama met with several so called leaders and organizations that allegedly represent Arab and Muslim Americans ahead of his visit to occupied Palestine. The “Arab-American” groups that attended the meeting were the same unrepresentative, Washington-based cliques that are usually called upon when American politicians need submissive token Arabs to perpetuate the fiction the US government is taking all views into consideration. The groups included the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the two-man American Task Force for Palestine (ATFP), and James Zogby’s one-man shop, the Arab American Institute (AAI).

June 22, 2012

Ikhras is pleased to announce the winner of the Muntadhar ZaidiIkhras Shoe of the MonthAward for May, 2012 is Ziad Asali. The president of the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) earned the prestigious ikhras shoe award by attending an Israel “Independence Day” celebration hosted by the Israeli embassy. As the Palestinian people were commemorating the onset of the nakba Asali decided to celebrate the violent ethnic cleansing of Palestine by European invaders and the creation of the usurping Zionist entity. Two photos (below) from the event emerged showing an undignified but smiling Asali with Michael Oren, the professional propagandist and war criminal (Oren served in the Israeli terrorist army during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 in which over 20, 000 Lebanese and Palestinian civilians were killed) from upstate New York that was handpicked by Benjamin Netanyahu to serve as Israel’s Ambassador to Washington.

May 19, 2012

A petition has been posted online to demand the resignation of American Task Force On Palestine (ATFP) President Ziad Asali. This came in response to Asali’s participation in an “independence day” celebration organized by the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.

We at Ikhras have decided to not sign the petition. To begin, Asali’s attendance of the Zionist entity’s “independence day” celebration is not the first time Asali or the two other members of the ATFP have engaged in such outrageous conduct. Such appalling behavior by the ATFP is nothing new.

October 15, 2011

Ziad Asali’s favorite night of the year is here again. On October 19 the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP), the Washington public relations front for the Israeli-sponsored, Western-funded, American-supervised Palestinian (illusory) Authority (PA) will hold its annual gala. The black-tie event brings out the dapper and debonair version of Ziad as he dons his black-tie tuxedo and prounces around a Washington hotel ballroom bowing before US and/or Arab officials. Ziad must be thrilled Salam Fayyad will be the gala’s keynote speaker this year. The last time Fayyad attended the ATFP’s annual event Ziad’s tuxedo wasn’t draped around him as tight as he was around the American-appointed Prime Minister of the PA. Hussein Ibish will also attend the gala in his own tailored tuxedo, feigning intellectual honesty and wearing urbanity like cheap makeup.

September 19, 2011

September 6, 2011

Ghaith Al-Omari, who recently represented The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) at the Iftar dinner hosted by the Israeli Ambassador, will be discussing the UN Palestine vote along with David Makovsky from the Washington Institute of Near East Policy (WINEP), the “think tank” of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Although the stated objectives of the ATFP is to work for peace between two peoples all it seems to have achieved is a close working relationship between the three individuals that run this shop and the various components of the pro-Israel lobby. The only individuals with whom the ATFP collaborates or maintains friendly relations are pro-Israel extremists whose views not only fall outside the scope of any reasonable debate, but are clearly beyond the pale.

March 16, 2011

The clowns at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP), The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), James Zogby, and the other careerists posing as Washington’s “Arab Lobby” can learn something from the leaders of Egypt’s revolutionary youth when it comes to dealing with US officials.

The Coalition of the Youth of the 25 January Revolutionrejected an invitation to attend a meeting with Hillary Clinton. The coalition of six youth groups that emerged from Egypt’s revolution refused to meet with Hillary in protest of the United States’ strong support for the ousted tyrant. The group said it did not welcome Clinton’s visit to Egypt and demanded that the US administration make a formal apology to Egypt’s people for its foreign policy towards the country in the past decades. It also added “the Egyptian people are the masters of their own land and destiny and will only accept equal relations of friendship and respect between the people of Egypt and the people of America.” One of the youth leaders told Aljazeera the decision was based on US policies including “US support for regional dictators and the Zionist entity.”